Condenser for refrigerating apparatus



0d. 13, 1936. TARLETQN 2,057,505

CONDENSER FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 51, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 T, 1 6 //-z6 "A1 INVENTOR. filmfx/c. L 72x61 n ATTORNE Oct. 13, 1936. F. TARLETON CONDENSER FOR REFRIGERATING APPARATUS Filed Oct. 51, 1954 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTOR. FR'flflrc L 72am ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 13,, 1936 j UNITED" STATES PATENT OFFICE 2.051.505 connnnsua roa nnrmcaaa'rnm arraaa'rus Frederic L. Tarleton, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Dayton, Ohio, a corporation ofDelawarc 1 Application October 31, 1934, Serial No. v50,aea

' 9 Claims. (01. 25140) This-invention relates to refrigerating apparatus and more particularly to a novel condenser construction for refrigerating-apparatus of the compressor-condenser-expander type.

It is an object of the invention to provide a unitary condenser and storage chamber in which the storage chamber is disposed vertically and extends from the top to the bottom of the condenser portion. v

More specifically, it is an object to provide a condenser of this type in which both the condensing portion and the storage chamber portion are formed from the samepair of metal sheets which have oppositely facing concavities formed therein with their edges telescoped together and sealed. Y

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accomgo panying drawings, wherein a preferred form of I the present invention is clearly shown.

- In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a perspective view of a refrigerating system embodying the present invention, poras tions of the apparatus being cut away to show the internal construction;

Fig. 2 is a side view of a condenser embodying the present invention; )7

, Fig. 3 is a top view of the condenser; and

30 Fig. 4 is afragmentary section on line l-lof Fig. 2.

Referring now to Fig. .1, there is illustrated a refrigerating apparatus comprising a motorcompressor unit l0 of the hermetically sealed 86 type, havingan outlet I! from which compressed refrigerant is conveyed by conduit ll to the inlet IB of the condenser l8. Compressed refrigerant is liquefied in the condenser and the liquid refrigerant is conducted from the outlet of 40 the condenser by conduit 22 to a heat interchanger 24, where the liquid refrigerant is cooled before entering the restrictor or liquid refrigerant control device 26. The restrictor 26 reduces the pressure of the refrigerant before it is delivered 45 to the evaporator 28 by conduit 30 which leads first to a shelf 32 of the evaporator. Refrigerant is conducted by-conduits 34 and 38 through the shelves to the side walls of the evaporator, whence the expanded refrigerant is delivered by 50 conduit 38 to the inlet 40 of the motor-com pressor unit III. A suitable automatic control switch 42 is provided for intermittently operating the motor-compressor unit ID, in accordance with the temperature of the evaporator while an 55 automatic starting switch 44 is provided to controFthe windings of the motor during starting.

' The condenser l8 comprises generally a heat exchange portion and a storage chamber portion 48 which, in. the form illustrated, is com- 60 prised of a pair of chambers one on either side of the heat exchange portion 46. The heat exchange portion 48 is composed of a plurality of vertical refrigerant conduits 50 which are connected in parallel with each other and with the 7 storage chamberportion 48 by horizontal headers 15 heat exchange devices, but it is preferred to form the vertical conduits, 50, the horizontal headers 52 and the vertical storage chamber portion from a single pair of sheet-'metal'members 58115 and. 58 (see Fig 4). Each of the sheet metal,- members is formed with oppositely facing concavities which comprise the storage chamber portion 48, the conduits 50 and the headers 52 and are pierced between the several conduits 50 and 2 between the end conduits and the storage chamber portion 48. The dimensionsv of the concavieties thus formed are made different in the two sheet metal members so that the edges thereof may be telescoped together as shown in Fi 4. 25

After telescoping the pair of members together, a plurality of c'omb shaped fins 54 having slots 60 which are open at one edge of the fin I4 and which correspond in shape to the exterior of the conduits 50 are pressed onto the conduits 50. The assembly thus formed may be suitably bonded together by any of the well known metallic fusion bonds, it being preferred to copper braze the assembly in a furnace having a hydrogen or other reducing atmosphere.

The present condenser is particularly adapted for use in refrigerating systems of low cost and in'which the system is constructed with the individual-units thereof of very low capacity. It is necessary that such systems operate at very high efllciency under all conditions, due to the lowcapacity of the individual units employed in its construction. With systems of this character which utilize a fixed restrictor for a refrigerant flow control device, it is necessary, in order to secure satisfactory ice freezing characteristics, to increase the rate of flow .of refrigerant throughv the restrictor when water to be frozen is placed in the ice trays located on the evaporator shelves. The present condenser provides this extra ice freezing capacity due to the fact that the storage chamber portion thereof is located between the top and bottom of the heat exchange portion thereof and is so connected thereto thatthe same level of liquid refrigerant will be maintained in both portions. Thus, when a heavy ice freezing load is imposed on the evaporator, the large amount of heat which is thus transmitted to the evaporator causes a rapid vaporization of refrigerant in the shelves rapid rate measured in units of weight per unit of time. The result is that the refrigerant formerly stored in the evaporator in the liquidstate is soon transferred to the condenser where it also collects in the liquid state, thus raising the level of liquid refrigerant therein. Inasmuch as the same level of liquid refrigerant exists in both the heat exchange portion and the storage portion of the condenser, the rise in that level will block ofi a proportionate amount of heat exchange area in the condenser, to thus decrease its effective condensing area. This results in a rather rapid rise in the head pressure which ,is much larger than the rise in suction pressure caused by the sudden load imposed on the evaporator and, therefore, produces a. larger pressure diiferential across the fixed restrictor 26, Since the rate of flow of refrigerant through the restrictor is roughly proportional to the pressure differential across it, the refrigerant will be delivered to the evaporator at a more rapid rate, thus giving a temporary hike-up in the refrigerating output of the apparatus.

While the form of embodiment of the invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted, all coming within the scope of the claims which follow.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. A condenser for a refrigerating apparatus comprising a vertically extending heat exchange portion, and a vertically extending storage portion in communication with the heat exchange portion above and below the liquid level therein for maintaining the liquid level in both portions the same at all times, both of said portions being formed from the same pair of sheet metal members formed with oppositely facing concavities having their edges telescoped together and sealed.

2, A condenser for a refrigerating apparatus comprising a vertically extending'heat exchange portion-and a vertically extending storage portion in communication with the heat exchange portion above and below the liquid level therein for maintaining the liquid level in both portions the same at all times, the bottom of the heat exchange portion being substantially as low as the bottom of the storage portion, both. of said portions being formed from the same pair of sheet metal members formed with oppositely facing concavities having their edges telescoped together and sealed.

3. A condenser for a refrigerating apparatus comprising a vertically extending heat exchange portion comprising a plurality of vertical conduits connected in parallel, and a vertically extending storage portion .in communication with the heat exchange portion above and below the liquid level therein for maintaining the liquid level in both portions the same at all times, both of said portions being formed fromthe same pair of sheet metal members formed with oppositely facing concavitieshaving their edges telescoped together and sealed. v

4. A condenser for a, refrigerating apparatus comprising a vertically extending heat exchange portion comprising a plurality of vertical conduits connected in parallel, and a vertically extending storage portion in communication with portion comprising a plurality of vertical con-.

duits connected in parallel, and heat radiating fins in heat conducting relation thereto, and a vertically extending storage portion in communication with the heat exchange portion above and.

below the liquid level therein for maintaining the liquid level in both portions the same at all times, both of said portions being formed from the same pair of sheet metal members formed with oppositely facing concavities having their edges telescoped together and sealed.

6. A condenser for a refrigerating apparatus comprising a vertically extending heat exchange portion comprising a plurality of vertical conduits connected in parallel, and heat radiating fins in heat conducting relation thereto, and a vertically extending storage portion in communication with the heat exchange portion' above and below the liquid level therein for maintaining the liquid level in both portions the same at all times, the bottom of the heat exchange portion being substantially-as low as the bottom of the storage portion, both of said portions being formed from the same pair of sheet metal'members formed with oppositely facing concavities having their edges telescoped together and sealed.

7. A condenser for a refrigerating apparatus comprising a vertically extending heat exchange portion including a plurality of vertically extending conduits, a vertically extending storage portion, and a horizontal conduit at the top and bottom of the heat exchange portion connecting the same with the storage portion to maintain the same liquid level in both portions at all times, both of said portions being formed from the same pair of sheet metal members formed with oppositely facing concavities having their edges telescoped together and sealed.

8. A condenser fora refrigerating apparatus comprising a vertically extending heat exchange portion including a plurality of vertically extending conduits, horizontal fins in heat conducting relation to said conduits, a vertically extending storage portion, and a horizontal conduit at the top and bottom of the heat exchange portion connecting the same with the storage portion to maintain the same liquid level in both portions at all times, both of said portions being formed from the same pair of sheet metal members formed with oppositely facing concavities having their edges telescoped together and sealed.

9. A condenser for a refrigerating system comprising, a vertically extending heat exchange portion, and an enlarged vertically extending sto age portion on opposite sides of the heat exchange portion and in communication therewith, said storage portions and'said heat exchange portion being formed bya pair of sheet metal members provided with oppositely facing concavities having their edges telescoped together and sealed;

FREDERICi L. TABLETON. 

